Tag Archives: WordPress Content Management

How To Use Post Revisions To Restore Old Content In WordPress?

You learned about Simple History that lets you instantly start monitoring key changes, such as posts, pages, user logins, plugin activations, failed login attempts, and more on your WordPress site. Now this lesson teaches you how you can restore content on your website in-case you lost it by accidentally updating your posts and pages etc.

In WordPress, post revisions are versions of your posts and pages that are automatically saved by WordPress every time you make changes. Each time you update a post, WordPress stores a copy of that post along with its content at the time of the update. This enables you to revert to an earlier version of the post if needed.

Revisions are particularly useful in case of accidental changes or content loss, as they allow you to restore a previous version of a post without losing any valuable content.

Post Revisions To Restore Old Content

If you accidentally update a WordPress post and the content is replaced with new content while the old content seems to be gone, you can use the post revisions feature to recover the previous version of your post. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open the Post Editor
  • Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  • Navigate to Posts -> All Posts.
  • Click on the post that you want to restore.
Step 2: Check The Revisions Section
  • In the post editor, look for the Revisions section. This section is usually located on the right side of the screen, below the Publish button. If you can’t see it, click on the Screen Options tab in the upper right corner and check the Revisions box.
  • The Revisions section will display the number of revisions available and the time of each saved revision.
Step 3: Browse Revisions
  • Click on the Browse link next to the revisions. This will open a comparison screen, where you can view the differences between the current version and earlier versions of your post.
  • On this screen, you’ll be able to see both the old content (the version you want to restore) and the new content (the current version).
Step 4: Restore A Revision
  • To restore an earlier version, use the slider at the top of the revision screen to scroll through the revisions. You can also click on Restore This Revision to revert to the selected version.
  • After restoring the revision, you can click the Update button to save the changes.
Step 5: Compare & Finalize
  • Once you’ve restored the old content, you can compare it with the new content to ensure everything is back to how it should be. If needed, you can make additional edits before updating the post.
How To Prevent Future Issues With Post Revisions?
  1. Limit The Number of Revisions: If you find that WordPress is saving too many revisions, you can limit the number of revisions stored in your database by adding a line of code to your wp-config.php file. For example, add the following line to limit revisions to 5 per post: define('WP_POST_REVISIONS', 5);
  2. Disable Revisions: If you don’t need revisions at all, you can disable them by adding the following line of code to your wp-config.php file: define('WP_POST_REVISIONS', false);
  3. Use A Backup Plugin: To ensure you never lose important content, it’s a good idea to use a WordPress backup plugin like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy. These plugins can automatically back up your entire site, including posts, pages, and media files.

WordPress post revisions are a powerful feature that helps you recover lost content or accidental changes. By following the simple steps above, you can easily restore older versions of a post and bring back the content that was replaced. Always make use of revisions as a safety net, and consider using additional backup strategies to keep your content secure.

How To Keep Track Of All WordPress Changes & Activity With Simple History?

Managing a WordPress website often involves multiple users editing content, adjusting settings, and performing various administrative tasks. To ensure smooth operations and track changes effectively, having a reliable plugin to log activities is essential. This is where Simple History steps in, offering an efficient and user-friendly way to monitor changes made on your website.

What Is Simple History?

Simple History is a powerful yet straightforward WordPress plugin that acts as an audit log for tracking the most important events within your website. Whether you’re managing a team or just need a way to keep track of site activities, this plugin provides a comprehensive record of everything happening behind the scenes.

By installing Simple History, you can instantly start monitoring key changes, such as posts, pages, user logins, plugin activations, and even failed login attempts. The best part is that its no technical—just install the plugin, and it will start logging events right away.

Key Features Of Simple History

Simple History comes packed with several useful features that make it an indispensable tool for WordPress site owners:

Track Content Changes
  • Posts and Pages: Know who added, updated, or deleted a post or page.
  • Attachments: Track any additions, updates, or deletions of media files.
  • Taxonomies: Keep a record of modifications to categories, tags, and custom taxonomies.
  • Comments: See who edited, approved, or removed a comment.
Widgets & Menus
  • Widgets: Receive updates when someone adds, removes, or updates widgets in your sidebar.
  • Menu Edits: Monitor changes to your site’s navigation menus.
User & Login Activity
  • User Profiles: Track when user profiles are added, updated, or removed.
  • User Logins: Log login attempts, successful logins, logouts, and even failed login attempts—helping you catch potential security threats like brute-force login attempts.
Settings & Privacy Monitoring
  • Option Screens: Get detailed logs of changes to site settings, such as changes to the site title or permalink structure.
  • Privacy Page: Know when a privacy page is created or modified.
  • Data Export & Erasure Requests: Keep track of privacy-related actions like data export requests and user data erasure.
Built-In Support For Popular Plugins

One of the standout features of Simple History is its integration with popular third-party plugins. Here are just a few examples:

  • Jetpack: View activated and deactivated Jetpack modules.
  • Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): Track changes to field groups and custom fields.
  • WP Crontrol: Monitor cron events, including additions, edits, deletions, and pauses.
  • Limit Login Attempts: Log failed login attempts and account lockouts.
  • Redirection: Track the creation and modification of redirects.
  • Beaver Builder: Keep an eye on saved layouts and template settings.

Moreover, if a plugin you’re using isn’t supported by default, plugin authors can add support for Simple History using the logging API, ensuring that no event goes unnoticed.

Accessing The History Log

Once Simple History is installed, you can access the history log through a convenient widget in your WordPress dashboard or via the ‘Simple History’ page located in the dashboard menu.

The plugin also offers an RSS feed option, allowing you to keep track of changes through your favorite RSS reader. For advanced users, there are WP-CLI commands available, which make it easy to list the latest events via the command line.

Why Should You Use Simple History?
Improved Site Security

Simple History helps site administrators stay on top of suspicious activities. By tracking failed login attempts, user activity, and plugin changes, it becomes easier to identify and respond to potential security threats before they escalate.

Better Collaboration

For websites with multiple content editors, Simple History acts as a digital audit trail, allowing you to see exactly who made changes and when. This transparency can help resolve issues and ensure accountability within teams.

No Technicalities Required

One of the best aspects of Simple History is that it’s incredibly user-friendly. You don’t need to have any technical experience to install or use it. Simply install the plugin, and it will start logging activities right out of the box.

Extensive Access

The plugin’s ability to integrate with a wide range of popular plugins means that you can get detailed logs of actions across many aspects of your site, from content management to user logins and plugin activity.

Simple History is an essential tool for any WordPress site owner looking to track activities, improve security, and streamline site management. With its easy setup, user-friendly interface, and comprehensive logging features, it provides the transparency and peace of mind every WordPress site needs.

Whether you’re running a personal blog, a team-based site, or an e-commerce platform, Simple History ensures that you stay informed about what’s happening on your website at all times.

Streamline Guest Editing With Secure Collaboration On Your WordPress Site

The EPP – Edit Post With Passwords Basic plugin is a game-changer for websites that rely on guest editors or occasional collaborators. By providing secure, password-protected access for editing specific posts, this tool ensures a safe and controlled environment for content updates without requiring user logins.

Key Features Of EPP Plugin

  1. Unique Passwords for Posts: Assign a distinct password to each post, ensuring only authorized individuals can suggest edits.
  2. Secure Interface: A straightforward interface allows guest editors to enter their passwords and propose changes without hassle.
  3. Nonce Verification: Enhanced security with nonce verification prevents unauthorized attempts and secures submission processes.
  4. Intuitive User Experience: Thoughtfully crafted messages guide users through password validation, ensuring clarity and ease.

Installation & Usage

Simply install and activate the EPP – Edit Post With Passwords Basic plugin. Upon activation, edit a post, the password and a secure edit link of the post will be auto generated for further use as shown in the following screenshot.

There after you may share this link and password with the people you would want to contribute to the post.

Once they will open the link, they would be able to edit the post by entering its password.

Once, they edit the post and add content to it, they can submit it by clicking the ‘Submit Edit’ button. All this process works on the frontend of your website.

Benefits Of Using EPP

  • Content Integrity: By restricting access to trusted individuals, site owners maintain control over the quality and accuracy of their content.
  • Simplified Collaboration: Enable edits from non-logged-in users, making it easier to collaborate with guest contributors.
  • Hassle-Free Management: No need to create new user accounts for temporary collaborators, reducing administrative overhead.

Ideal Use Cases

  • News Websites: Allow freelance journalists to propose updates to their published stories.
  • Business Blogs: Enable client-submitted post edits without compromising security.
  • Creative Platforms: Collaborate with guest writers or designers while maintaining editorial control.

Why Choose EPP – Edit Post With Passwords Basic?

With its user-friendly design and robust security features, this plugin is perfect for websites that seek to blend flexibility with protection. Whether you manage a blog, a news portal, or any content-rich site, EPP empowers you to collaborate confidently while safeguarding your content.